ABOUT
Elsa Buchanan is an international journalist and communications specialist with over a decade of experience reporting from conflict zones and areas of political upheaval. A member of the National Union of Journalists and the Society of International Media & Press Photographers (SIMPP), she has built a career telling urgent human stories from the Arabian Peninsula and Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly East and Central Africa. Her work spans breaking news, long-form reporting, and investigative journalism, with a focus on accountability, civilian harm, and the human consequences of conflict and political violence.
Since 2009, Elsa has reported from active and post-conflict settings including Lebanon, Yemen, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Burundi for outlets such as The Independent, International Business Times, Evening Standard, The Sun, New Statesman, Al Jazeera Magazine, Yahoo News, and The Daily Telegraph. Her reporting earned nominations for Rising Star of the Year at the 2014 HeadlineMoney Media Awards and for the One World Media New Voice Award in 2016. She has also provided on-air analysis for Arise News, Islam Channel TV, and NPR affiliate KBIA.
Her visual work has also received editorial recognition, including selection as an Editors’ Pick in the Cities competition by Life Framer, highlighting the narrative and compositional strength of her long-term documentary approach to conflict-affected urban spaces.
Alongside her media career, Elsa is a co-founder and trustee of Datum Foundation, a UK-registered charity working in partnership with local communities across Asia and Africa to improve access to education, healthcare, and clean water and sanitation. The foundation supports the construction and rehabilitation of schools, maternal health clinics, primary healthcare facilities, and essential water and sanitation infrastructure, with a focus on long-term, community-led impact. As a trustee, Elsa contributes to board-level oversight and strategic direction, with particular attention to how projects are documented, evaluated, and presented to external audiences.
After contributing her storytelling skills to organisations including the NSPCC and Sentebale, Elsa now leads media and advocacy for Project Masam, an internationally recognised humanitarian landmine, UXO, and IED clearance initiative in Yemen. Based between the UAE and Yemen, she directs media campaigns, manages internal communications, and travels extensively to meet survivors, demining experts, and medical teams treating blast and shrapnel injuries. She produces features, reports, and short documentaries that capture both the human impact of landmines and the work of clearance teams.
Elsa has completed Demining Induction Training (Manual Mine Clearance) in Yemen, giving her practical insight into mine clearance operations and the technical challenges faced by field teams. She has also gathered testimonies and data for reports submitted to UN Special Rapporteurs and other international organisations, ensuring that first-hand accounts from affected communities inform global humanitarian advocacy.
Alongside her role with Project Masam, Elsa continues to work as a freelance writer, providing storytelling and content services to non-profits, media outlets, and corporate clients, including blog posts, white papers, social media content, and feature articles. She has also volunteered as a paralegal, sourcing evidence for asylum applications submitted to the UK Home Office.
Her CV is available here and her journalist portfolio and copywriting portfolio can be accessed below.
Available for commissions, documentary projects, or investigative collaborations. Remote working and field travel possible.
Elsa Buchanan is an international journalist and communications specialist with over a decade of experience reporting from conflict zones and areas of political upheaval. A member of the National Union of Journalists and the Society of International Media & Press Photographers (SIMPP), she has built a career telling urgent human stories from the Arabian Peninsula and Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly East and Central Africa. Her work spans breaking news, long-form reporting, and investigative journalism, with a focus on accountability, civilian harm, and the human consequences of conflict and political violence.
Since 2009, Elsa has reported from active and post-conflict settings including Lebanon, Yemen, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Burundi for outlets such as The Independent, International Business Times, Evening Standard, The Sun, New Statesman, Al Jazeera Magazine, Yahoo News, and The Daily Telegraph. Her reporting earned nominations for Rising Star of the Year at the 2014 HeadlineMoney Media Awards and for the One World Media New Voice Award in 2016. She has also provided on-air analysis for Arise News, Islam Channel TV, and NPR affiliate KBIA.
Her visual work has also received editorial recognition, including selection as an Editors’ Pick in the Cities competition by Life Framer, highlighting the narrative and compositional strength of her long-term documentary approach to conflict-affected urban spaces.
Alongside her media career, Elsa is a co-founder and trustee of Datum Foundation, a UK-registered charity working in partnership with local communities across Asia and Africa to improve access to education, healthcare, and clean water and sanitation. The foundation supports the construction and rehabilitation of schools, maternal health clinics, primary healthcare facilities, and essential water and sanitation infrastructure, with a focus on long-term, community-led impact. As a trustee, Elsa contributes to board-level oversight and strategic direction, with particular attention to how projects are documented, evaluated, and presented to external audiences.
After contributing her storytelling skills to organisations including the NSPCC and Sentebale, Elsa now leads media and advocacy for Project Masam, an internationally recognised humanitarian landmine, UXO, and IED clearance initiative in Yemen. Based between the UAE and Yemen, she directs media campaigns, manages internal communications, and travels extensively to meet survivors, demining experts, and medical teams treating blast and shrapnel injuries. She produces features, reports, and short documentaries that capture both the human impact of landmines and the work of clearance teams.
Elsa has completed Demining Induction Training (Manual Mine Clearance) in Yemen, giving her practical insight into mine clearance operations and the technical challenges faced by field teams. She has also gathered testimonies and data for reports submitted to UN Special Rapporteurs and other international organisations, ensuring that first-hand accounts from affected communities inform global humanitarian advocacy.
Alongside her role with Project Masam, Elsa continues to work as a freelance writer, providing storytelling and content services to non-profits, media outlets, and corporate clients, including blog posts, white papers, social media content, and feature articles. She has also volunteered as a paralegal, sourcing evidence for asylum applications submitted to the UK Home Office.
Her CV is available here and her journalist portfolio and copywriting portfolio can be accessed below.
Available for commissions, documentary projects, or investigative collaborations. Remote working and field travel possible.
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